California College of the Arts vs. Design Institute of San Diego

Comparable Facts

Compare California College of the Arts in San Francisco, CA with Design Institute of San Diego in San Diego, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

California College of the Arts is larger than Design Institute of San Diego based on total student enrollment (1,308 students vs. 94 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• California College of the Arts is located in San Francisco, CA (Large City setting); Design Institute of San Diego is in San Diego, CA (Large City setting).
• California College of the Arts is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Design Institute of San Diego is a private, for-profit 4-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: California College of the Arts 8:1; Design Institute of San Diego 8:1.

California College of the Arts vs. Design Institute of San Diego Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California College of the Arts or Design Institute of San Diego? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Design Institute of San Diego than California College of the Arts ($44,010 vs. $46,823).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Design Institute of San Diego are 0.1% lower than at California College of the Arts ($22,086 vs. $22,099).
• California College of the Arts is 105.5% more expensive for in-state tuition than Design Institute of San Diego (about $30,926 more per year; $60,226.00 vs. $29,300.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is 105.5% higher at California College of the Arts than at Design Institute of San Diego (about $30,926 more per year; $60,226.00 vs. $29,300.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Design Institute of San Diego than at California College of the Arts (100% vs. 96%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by California College of the Arts students is 176.9% larger than aid received by Design Institute of San Diego students ($32,953 vs. $11,901).

California College of the Arts vs. Design Institute of San Diego Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California College of the Arts or Design Institute of San Diego? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Design Institute of San Diego and California College of the Arts.

• Design Institute of San Diego reports an open admissions policy.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: California College of the Arts - Test-free; Design Institute of San Diego - Open admission.
• Design Institute of San Diego has a higher acceptance rate (100%) than California College of the Arts (91.1%).
• The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 8% at California College of the Arts vs. 28.6% at Design Institute of San Diego.

California College of the Arts vs. Design Institute of San Diego Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for California College of the Arts and Design Institute of San Diego? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

• Design Institute of San Diego's six-year graduation rate (62%) is higher than California College of the Arts's (49%).
• Graduates from California College of the Arts earn a median of about $4,600 more per year than Design Institute of San Diego graduates about ten years after starting college ($43,500 vs. $38,900), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, California College of the Arts graduates have a $12,585 lower median loan debt than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($28,000 vs. $40,585).
• Among borrowers, California College of the Arts graduates have an estimated $130 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Design Institute of San Diego graduates ($289 vs. $419).
• More Design Institute of San Diego graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California College of the Arts students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 62%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.